Review of Danger: Diabolik (1968) by Brad H — 04 May 2011

The masked super-criminal Diabolik jumps out of his Italian 60s comic book to steal totally ridiculous trinkets in this psychedelic big screen trip.

It feels like comic book adaptions are only a recent craze and it can come as a surprise for some that it's actually been going on for a very long time now. In the 60s the big craze was for Italian comics, and although many will remember and recognise the more well known "Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy" there was also many other good (but less well know) comic book adaptions. "Danger: Diabolik" is definitely one of these. Directed by Gothic Horror director Mario Brava it is considered unique amongst other films of the genre.

Diabolik is a classic comic book character. He wears a costume (kind of a masked, ninja suit), has a trademark set of arching eyebrows and a super villain laugh, wields an array of bizarre gadgets and is an unrestrained anarchist as much as he is a master of grand larceny. He is also an anti-hero; stealing from rich officials and keeping it for himself, beating information from a crime lord as they fall through the air from inside a plane and casually destroying the country's tax offices simply because he doesn't like how the government spends the funds!It's impossible not to like Diabolik, and the 60s style of drug abuse and free love seems to compliment and heighten the absurdity of his (and the film's) personality.

So the story isn't particularly deep and there's not really any hidden meaning to take out of watching it. It doesn't really matter, because Diabolik is incredibly fun and (taken at it's face value) is both a great comic caper and entertaining cinema. Love making amongst millions of dollars in notes, scaling a wall spider-man style to steal a priceless necklace, drugging an official press conference so the officials break down laughing and stealing a 20 ton gold ingot are just a selection of weird events that Diabolik carries out over the cause of the film.

The energy of the film exhilarates and entertains, and there's no doubting that John Philip Law IS Diabolik (apart from his trademark eye brows which he apparently had to glue into the correct pose for the film!). Marisa Mell is also incredible (and hot) as Diabolik's high rent lover/partner/accomplice. A nod also has to be given to super villain Valmont who is the trademark comic bad guy in every way (he even has a secret trapdoor that drops troublesome employees out of his plane!), and the wise cracking detective who's always mouthing off to the rubbish government and never ceasing in the hunt for Diabolik.

THE VERDICT?

I don't think I realised until I did this review just how much I really loved this film! It's shallow but also iconic, psychedelic, sexy and completely nuts! Danger: Diabolik is great entertainment and definitely on of the better comic book adaptions out there. It's Batman, V for Vendetta and the swinging 60s all rolled into one crazy film!

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YOU MIGHT LIKE...

BARBARELLA- Another Italian comic adaption. It's better known but sadly even less highly regarded.